Uniting the Worlds
by Zathara001
Summary: Oliver thought he got off easy when it came to Kara's family... this is the fifth in the "Of Two Worlds" series and takes place after "Bridging the Worlds."
1. Chapter 1

Oliver thought he got off easy when it came to Kara's family.

CONTINUITY NOTE: Because the events of Arrow 5x09 are so abrupt, so impactful, for this series of stories (which are AU already, of course), they never happened. This is the fourth on the "Of Two Worlds" series, and takes place after "Bridging the Worlds."

CHAPTER ONE

From where he crouched atop the old Grell warehouse, Oliver watched as four men loaded crates of weapons - Russian-made AK-12 assault rifles, to be exact - into a waiting pickup that looked almost as dark as the moonless night.

Weeks of investigation, questioning and threatening everyone on the street who might have a remote connection to the Triads, the Bratva, the Mafia, or any other gang in Star City, had finally paid off. Team Arrow might not have known when the weapons were coming into Star City, but they'd damned well prevent them from leaving.

"Eyes on target," he murmured into his comm as the men returned to the warehouse for another load. "Status?"

"In position," Wild Dog replied, and instinctively, Oliver scanned the area across the alley from the pickup for any sign of his teammate and was pleased when he saw none. Rene was still, as his name implied, a little wild, but he was finally learning to be patient and wait for the opportune moment. Or Oliver's order, whichever came first.

"Same," came Diggle's - Spartan's - agreement. Oliver nodded, though neither of them could see it from their positions.

Despite the months of working with them, and the knowledge that he couldn't protect or save his city alone, he still missed his original team - no, his family: Spartan, Black Canary, Arsenal, Speedy. Each member of the new team was good, but so far they hadn't meshed into the unit he'd gotten so used to working with. He could only hope that they would, someday.

Oliver shoved those thoughts aside when he saw two of the men emerge from the warehouse, lugging another crate between them. Then he rose and loosed two arrows in quick succession, each puncturing one of the pickup's rear tires.

That was all the signal the other two needed. Wild Dog barreled out from his hiding place, firing both his guns at the men.

Oliver made a mental note to work on tranquilizer rounds for the other man. He'd learned over the years that the justice system should be given a chance to work, but Wild Dog didn't seem to care about that. Yet.

Oliver leapt down from his perch, landing behind the two men to engage them in hand-to-hand. Over his comm, he heard Wild Dog swear.

"Dammit, Arrow! I can't shoot them when I might hit you."

"That's the point," Oliver bit back, using his bow to sweep one of the men off his feet.

Oliver heard another curse, but kept his focus on the other man, blocking a wild, wide punch aimed at his midsection.

A purplish blur streaked across his vision, and in the moment between heartbeats, the gun-runners were all lined up before him on the ground, their wrists secured by zip-ties.

"Might as well call it a night if she's here," Wild Dog grumbled. "See you back at the bunker."

He turned and stalked off, and Oliver frowned at the men before him. Something didn't feel quite right.

"Are we done?" Dig asked from behind him.

"Yeah," Oliver replied absently. "Head on back."

A rustle of fabric told him Dig, too, was gone.

Oliver studied the men a moment longer, and then realization hit. It wasn't Kara's style to subdue and run. Still, the blur had been more purple than red or even orange, which meant it wasn't Barry or Wally making an unplanned trip to Star City.

 _Another meta? Working on our side?_

A whisper of sound, like silk on skin, had him nocking an arrow and whirling to face… a dark-haired man in a blue and red suit with Kara's family crest on the chest.

"Jimmy said you're good," the man observed, and Oliver lowered his bow.

"You're Kara's cousin," Oliver said. "Kal-El."

"Clark Kent," the man corrected, then glanced around. "On the assumption that the sirens I hear are your police arriving, maybe we should talk somewhere else. Roof?"

"Roof." Oliver switched arrows and launched himself to the roof, not at all surprised when Superman arrived before he did.

He took a moment to tell Felicity - Overwatch - that he'd be a while getting back to the bunker and that she could call it a night before sliding his hood and mask off to face Kara's cousin.

"Alex already gave me the talk," he said.

"She told me. I wanted to meet you myself."

"Why?"

"To see what kind of man could make my cousin leave a world behind again."

"Huh."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "You don't think that's a valid reason?"

Oliver smiled tightly, the decision to be honest made before he thought about it. "I'm just surprised you care."

"I beg your pardon?" There was a regal air, almost an arrogance, in the question, and Oliver matched it with a disdainful look of his own.

"You were the only family she had on your Earth, and you couldn't be bothered to help her. By what standard do you judge me?"

Superman stiffened, and for a moment, Oliver thought he'd gone too far. Then the other man blew out a breath.

"I probably deserved that." Superman looked away, briefly, before meeting Oliver's gaze steadily. "I have no memories of Krypton. I arrived on Earth as a baby and grew up thinking I was some experiment or something - we didn't know. But I was unique. Alone."

"That had to be rough," Oliver said, unwilling sympathy welling within him.

"I finally accepted that I'd never know where I came from, made the best life I could. Then a spaceship fell from the sky, and I opened it to find Kara - twelve years old and speaking a language I didn't understand."

Oliver tried to picture Kara as a twelve-year-old newly arrived on Earth. Her eyes would be the same blue, of course, but she would've been nervous at best, terrified at worst, not the confident young woman he'd fallen in love with. But Superman was continuing, so Oliver dragged his attention back to the other man.

"She learned English faster than I learned Kryptonian," the other man said, his expression rueful. "She told me a story of a dying world and two rebel brothers who defied their government to save their children. She was my cousin, sent to protect me. It was a lot to take in."

"Sounds like," Oliver acknowledged when the silence threatened to linger too long.

"I was young." Superman's voice took on a more reflective tone, and he turned to gaze out across Star City's skyline. "Just starting out as Superman. I had no idea what to do with a pre-teen girl, much less everything she brought with her."

Anger flared again, and Oliver let it color his tone. "So you abandoned her to strangers on a strange world."

"Eliza and Jeremiah Danvers are good people. I knew they'd do better for her than I could."

"That depends on your definition of _better_ ," Oliver shot back. Then he summoned a little compassion and added, "I understand not knowing what to do with the unexpected. Do you understand that you're a big part of the reason she was willing to leave your Earth behind?"

Superman met his gaze. "I understand that I can't change what I did back then, can't fix it. But I can demonstrate that I've learned better."

That, Oliver could understand. He nodded once, accepting Superman's words. Then, "Anyone else going to give me the talk?"

The other man smiled slowly. "Oh, yeah."

Oliver concealed a groan. "Who?"

"Eliza."

Oliver could only smile, however unwillingly. "My future adoptive mother-in-law."

Superman nodded, and Oliver couldn't tell whether his expression was amused or sympathetic.

 _Probably both._ "Where and when?"

"We'll let you know."

With that, Superman took off from the roof, leaving Oliver to oversee the arrival of SCPD and the arrests of the gun-runners.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Oliver had a press conference the next morning outside Starling City Police Department, and for a solid half hour, he answered questions about the anti-crime task force and one or two concerning the vigilantes of the city that left him feeling somewhat hypocritical.

Finally, he noted that he had to attend to other matters, thanked the reporters for their time, and turned away.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mayor."

Oliver didn't recognize the voice, and it was curiosity as much as the manners his mother had drilled into him that made him pause and turn to the speaker, a middle-aged woman with a kind expression that seemed out of place on a reporter.

"I'm happy to give an interview," he told her, "but you'll have to schedule it with my office, Ms. -?"

She smiled. "Eliza Danvers."

Oliver recognized the name immediately and slid a glance around them. The bulk of the reporters who'd gathered for the press conference were already packing up their gear or otherwise not paying attention.

Still, he kept his voice low as he said, "You certainly don't need to schedule an interview, but I have another appointment this morning, and a meeting with some city council members this afternoon. I should be free around three, if that works for you."

"Shall I come to your office?" Eliza asked, and her smile was so like Kara's that Oliver had to remind himself that she wasn't Kara's natural mother.

"Please," Oliver said. "I'll let them know to expect you. Just don't use your last name – we haven't made an official announcement yet."

"Any particular reason?" And there was the edge he'd been expecting, the hint of suspicion and the protective instinct.

"Several," Oliver told her. "And I'll explain all of them to you this afternoon."

Eliza held his gaze a few minutes longer, then nodded. "I'll see you at three."

Oliver watched her walk away, and when she turned a corner, Oliver wasn't surprised to detect the faintest _whoosh_ of sound. Kara's cousin, no doubt – or perhaps Kara herself, if she knew of Eliza's visit.

Finally, Oliver turned to join his protective detail – some days he missed the simplicity of Dig as his bodyguard – and get on with his day.

\- S -

Much to Oliver's surprise, his meeting with Councilwoman Tyler and Councilman Kemp not only went well, but ended earlier than he'd planned. At 2:45, he found himself returning to his office and wondering how to fill the fifteen minutes before Eliza would arrive.

When he emerged from the elevator, he saw he wouldn't have to fill time. Eliza stood chatting with his assistant, Cassandra.

"Eliza?" he asked, and she turned to him with a smile.

"I know I'm early," she said. "But you did say around three."

"So I did," Oliver agreed. "And as it happens, my meeting ended early. Shall we?"

Eliza excused herself from Cassandra and came to join him as he punched the elevator button.

"What would you like?" Oliver asked. "I know some good restaurants."

"No, that's not necessary," Eliza said. "Why don't you show me your city? Alex said there are some interesting sights here."

"For a given definition of interesting," Oliver quipped.

"Not _too_ interesting," Eliza said, and Oliver had to chuckle at her tone. "How about this – show me what you love about this city."

The elevator doors slid open, and Oliver made an _after you_ gesture. When the doors slid shut, Oliver pressed the button for the ground floor and finally responded to her prompt. "It's not the city itself so much as the people."

"Of course," Eliza countered. "But a city shapes its people as much as its people shape it."

Oliver shot a glance at her. "I thought you were a bio-engineer."

"I am," Eliza replied. "But I'd be pretty dull if I ate, slept, and breathed bio-engineering twenty-four hours a day."

Oliver could only smile at her. "Far be it from me to accuse anyone - especially you - of being dull. My apologies."

"Not necessary," Eliza replied as the doors slid open onto the parking garage beneath the ground floor.

Oliver led her to his Porsche Carrera and opened the passenger side door for her, half-expecting a derogatory comment about his choice of vehicles. But she just settled in and fastened her seat belt without prompting.

Oliver slid behind the wheel and started the engine.

"So," Eliza said as Oliver turned from the garage into midafternoon traffic. "Why no formal announcement?"

"Yet," Oliver added. "The first reason is that we wanted to tell you - our families on both worlds - first."

Eliza nodded. "I appreciate the consideration."

"The other - We're trying to figure out how to honor her heritage without giving away our identities."

Eliza was quiet long enough as Oliver turned toward the Glades that he risked taking his eyes off the road to look at her.

Her expression showed surprise - and gratitude. All she said was, "I understand, now - why she chose you."

\- S -

It was fully dark when Oliver pulled the Carrera into the parking garage beneath his apartment. Beside him, Eliza looked thoughtful.

"Star City doesn't meet your expectations?" Even though Oliver tried to keep his tone light, he thought he heard an edge in it.

"You have a beautiful city," Eliza said, and Oliver had to chuckle.

"You don't have to exaggerate," he said. "I know we have a lot of work to do."

"Maybe, but Star Bridge is beautiful, and I enjoyed the Grell Museum a lot."

"I'm glad." Oliver secured the car and led her toward the elevator. "But something had you looking concerned, and if there's a problem, I'd rather address it now than let it fester."

"It's not that kind of problem." Eliza caught his hand before he could press the call button. "But you're right, better to talk about it now than later."

"All right." Oliver gestured her to one side, out of the direct path of people exiting the elevators. "What is it?"

Eliza bit her lip, then said, "You know you won't live as long as Kara will."

"Eighty-two," Oliver blurted.

"Pardon?" Eliza asked.

He hadn't meant to say it, but now he had to explain. "A couple of years ago, I helped a friend in Central City fight a speedster from the future. The speedster told me the history books said I lived to be eighty-two."

"A good lifespan for a human," Eliza said.

"Especially for one in my line of work," Oliver added dryly, and Eliza smiled briefly before sobering again.

"But not nearly as long as Kara or Clark might live."

That was a truth Oliver tried not to think about, but he had to respond to Kara's mother. "All the more reason for us to enjoy now."

"Absolutely," Eliza agreed. "And all the more reason for me to try to get you more time."

"I'll cherish whatever time we do have."

Eliza waved that away. "Look, Kara's not my daughter by birth, but I love her as if she were. I want her to be happy as long as she can - and I'm a bioengineer. There has to be some way for that to happen."

"I hope so," Oliver said. "But I don't know of any on this Earth."

"Then we'll have to make one," Eliza said. "Give me a blood sample before I go."

"Not a problem," Oliver replied easily. "How about a pint?"

"A … pint?" Eliza shook her head. "I'm not a vampire."

Oliver chuckled. "I know - but I always have a few pints stored, just in case."

Eliza stared at him. "I don't know whether to be horrified or impressed."

"Why not both?" Oliver grinned at her, and whatever reply she might have made was interrupted by the _ding_ of the elevator arriving.

Oliver nodded to the middle-aged couple stepping off the elevator, then gestured for Eliza to precede him.

She paused, facing him with a considering expression, and he could only return her gaze and wait for her judgment.

"You're not at all what I would have chosen for her - if I had any say in it," Eliza said finally. "And not what I would have expected her to choose, either. But it's clear that you love each other, and that's all any mother could hope for."


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

Eliza's words lingered long after she'd returned to her Earth, and Oliver found himself pondering his future and how long he wouldn't live and how he might be able to change it at odd moments - such as during the public comment period of the current city council meeting.

The man speaking - one Lee Wade Hayes - had been to every council meeting since long before Oliver became mayor. He was only concerned with billboards and their content, and could speak on the topic for hours at a time. Thankfully, last year someone had introduced a resolution limiting public comments to ten minutes per speaker per meeting.

Still, Lee Wade Hayes took every one of those ten minutes, and since Oliver had heard all of the points several times before, he found his mind wandering back to Eliza's words. He could only blame her scientific approach for how long it took him to realize there were other options.

"I'm an idiot," Oliver muttered - just loudly enough for his microphone to pick it up.

Lee Wade Hayes stopped mid-sentence to stare at him, and Oliver felt more than saw the other city council members turning toward him as well. He searched for a way to recover from his ill-timed realization, found one a moment later.

Oliver summoned a smile and addressed Hayes. "For not paying more attention to your concerns," he said.

"Really?" Hayes asked, his hooded eyes widening.

"Really," Oliver said. "If we want to build Star City into a vision of the future, we need to be looking at all aspects of it - visually as well as structurally. Please call my office to arrange a meeting to discuss this further."

"Uh - okay," Hayes said. Then, "Do I still get my last four minutes?"

"Absolutely," Oliver said, though his mind was already on the call he'd be making as soon as the meeting was over.

\- S -

As soon as Oliver could get away from the reporters hurling questions about his new billboard policy at him, he pulled out his phone. It took only a moment to scroll through his contacts and find the number he wanted.

"Oliver." John Constantine's voice held a very British tone of mild surprise. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon, mate."

"I need a favor."

"Bollocks," John said. "Not another soul restoration, I hope? Those things are bloody exhausting."

Oliver chuckled. "Nothing like that. It's personal."

"Doesn't get much more personal than restoring someone's soul," John quipped. "I happen to be in Star City at the moment. Where do you want to meet?"

Oliver chose not to ask why John would be in Star City - he'd had his fill of magical adversaries last year thanks to Damien Darhk. Instead, he simply gave John the address to the loft.

"I can find that," John said. "An hour?"

"I'll have some Scotch waiting," Oliver promised.

\- S -

An hour later, a strong knock sounded on the door to the loft while Oliver was pouring two fingers of a small-batch Glenlivet into each of two glasses. He took one and went to answer the door.

"I knew there's a reason I like you," John quipped. "I'm parched."

Oliver offered him the glass, watched as his visitor downed the Scotch in one long swallow. Personally, he thought that was a waste of good Scotch, but to each his own.

"Well, then." John handed him the glass back. "What kind of personal favor do you need?"

"It's a long story." Oliver turned to pour another shot for him, when another voice made him pause.

"Will you not offer me a drink as well?"

"Nyssa?" Oliver turned to stare at his … what was she to him, exactly? Not an enemy. Sometime ally. Onetime wife according to the laws of the now-defunct League of Assassins. Friend, maybe? He pushed that thought aside to focus on his visitor.

"Felicity contacted me," Nyssa explained without prompting. "She said you have something important to tell me, and it's best discussed in private."

Then she must have read Oliver's expression, because she added, "You did not ask her to contact me."

"No," Oliver said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not glad to see you. You might even be able to help."

"With what?" Nyssa asked.

"That's part of the something important," Oliver said. "Please, come in - both of you."

"I like your favors so far, Oliver," John said. "They all involve pretty girls."

"Deadly, too," Oliver quipped and made brief introductions. "John Constantine, this is Nyssa al Ghul."

John's eyebrows shot up. "As in Ra's al Ghul?"

"You have heard of -" Nyssa began, but broke off immediately. "I was the last Ra's. I am simply Nyssa Raatko now."

While they were speaking, Oliver had poured a second shot for John and a shot for Nyssa. He passed those to his guests before taking his own and gesturing them toward the conversation area by the fireplace.

And then he found himself taking a sip of the Glenlivet to moisten a suddenly-dry throat. _Just say it._

"I'm getting married."

He glanced up to meet Nyssa's questioning gaze. John, of course, was more verbose.

"I wouldn't have bet on that," John said. "So what's the favor? A little wedding night mojo?"

"No," Oliver said firmly. "She's not … entirely human."

"Demon?" John demanded.

"Farthest thing from," Oliver said. "Alien - it's Supergirl. And her physiology on this planet means that she's aging a lot more slowly than normal humans do."

"You wish a fountain of youth," Nyssa said.

Oliver met her gaze. "I don't want to hurt her - and yes, call me selfish, but I want as much time with her as I can have."

Nyssa smiled gently. "It's not selfish to want to be happy."

Oliver sat back to regard them both when he continued, "I hope one of you has a solution."

"Not offhand," John said. "But I have resources. I'll see what I can do."

"I'll owe you a favor," Oliver told him.

"More than one, mate," John corrected. Before he could continue, his phone rang. He pulled it from his pocket and barely glanced at it before answering. "Runnin' a little late, love. I'll be there soon."

Oliver wondered idly if John were in Star City for personal reasons, rather than the business he'd originally assumed. But then John was slipping his phone back into his pocket.

"That's it, then?"

"That's it," Oliver confirmed. "Thanks."

"Ah, don't thank me until I've solved your problem." John grinned, then nodded to Nyssa. "Pleasure."

And then he was gone, the door closing gently behind him, and Oliver was alone with Nyssa. He turned to face her fully, suddenly uncertain.

But Nyssa was smiling - a Mona Lisa smile that made Oliver glad he'd remained on her good side. He hoped.

"And will you owe me, if I find your solution first?" she asked.

That, at least, Oliver could answer, and he met her gaze evenly. "I did make you Ra's."

"And I gave you the lotus potion in return." She blew out a breath and her shoulders slumped just slightly. "That was ill-done of me - to make your sister suffer longer than she needed, when she had done no wrong. For that I apologize."

"Accepted," Oliver said immediately, and her startled expression made him smile grimly. "I understand."

She studied him for a long moment. "Yes. I believe you do." Then her expression faded into uncertainty. "You know I destroyed the Lazarus Pit."

"I know." And he'd agreed with that decision when he'd first heard of it. A part of him still agreed with it. But another part could only think the Lazarus Pit would have solved his problem easily. Nyssa's voice pulled him from his reverie.

"But some of its waters may yet remain," she said. "I will inquire on your behalf."

"Thank you," was all Oliver could say.

Nyssa shook her head. "It is only because you are who and what you are that I would even consider this…husband. Do not make me regret it."

"Please," Oliver said, "tell me that before disbanding the League you annulled our marriage."

Her lips twitched, and then Nyssa was smiling a smile full of joy and humor, one that Oliver had never seen before. "Indeed I did. So - tell me of your love."

\- S -

They were still talking an hour later when the door to the loft opened and Kara came in. Oliver rose to greet her, kissing her briefly.

"I didn't know we were having guests," she said.

"We can thank Felicity for that," Oliver told her. "Kara, this is Nyssa al - sorry. Nyssa Raatko. Nyssa, my fiancée, Kara Danvers."

"Very nice to meet you." Kara offered her hand. "How do you know Oliver?"

Nyssa smiled again, a sly expression, and for a heartbeat Oliver debated trying to cut her off, but then surrendered to the inevitable.

"He was my husband."

"What?" Kara turned startled - but not angry, Oliver noted thankfully - eyes to him. "Oliver -?"

"Not by any laws that anyone else would recognize," Oliver told her. "And even if they did, the marriage was annulled."

"More to the point," Nyssa said, "we made no vows to each other, no promises that might interfere with your happiness."

"There's a story there," Kara said, and Oliver chuckled.

"A very long one," Nyssa agreed.

"Then why don't we make Oliver order take-out, and you can tell me all about it?" Kara smiled, and for a moment Oliver thought it was the smile she'd given Agent Smith in the aftermath of the alien invasion - sweet and at the same time holding just a hint of vengeance.

But, no - when Kara sat across from Nyssa, her body language was comfortable, relaxed. Oliver allowed himself a small, silent sigh of relief before reaching for his phone.

\- S -

When the door closed behind Nyssa and Kara turned back to him, Oliver's relief fled in the face of her scowl.

"Were you going to tell me?" she demanded.

Oliver could only be honest. "I didn't think it needed to be told."

"You didn't think I needed to know you were married before?"

"I don't know that it was a real marriage," Oliver countered and held up a hand to forestall her protest. "There were no vows, no promises, just a woman who said it was done."

Kara looked dubious. "No kissing the bride?"

"The woman, the priestess maybe, put our hands together. That was it."

"Then - what was the point?"

"The point," Oliver said, stepping closer to her and meeting her gaze, "was to get Nyssa's father to trust me enough to show me his plan to destroy Star City, so that we could stop it."

"Which you did," she said.

"Obviously." Oliver nodded toward the windows and the view of the city beyond. "It was a marriage - if you can call it that - only in the eyes of Ra's al Ghul and the League of Assassins, and when Nyssa became Ra's, she annulled it."

"How long?"

Oliver had to think. "Nyssa didn't become Ra's until … eight months after I killed her father."

"You killed her -?" Kara broke off, shaking her head. "Sometimes I forget how strange your world is."

Oliver didn't try to resist the grin tugging at his lips. "This from the woman whose world is full of aliens."

She smacked his chest. "That's totally different."

"A different kind of strange," Oliver allowed, and then caught her up in his arms to carry her back to the sofa, savoring the fact that she let him do it.

When he'd sat and settled her on his lap, he reached up to stroke his thumb across her cheekbone.

"For the record," he said, "I don't love Nyssa. I respect her and I trust her, but I don't love her. I love you."

"I know," Kara said. "And I love you. I just find it hard to believe you were married to her and didn't even kiss her."

"Would it help if I told you she tried to kill me during the ceremony?"

"She didn't."

"Aimed a knife right at my throat." Oliver bent his head to kiss Kara's throat.

"Well, then, I'm glad she missed." Kara's voice was steady, but her breath caught at the end of the sentence, and Oliver smiled against her neck.

"Forgive me for not telling you?" Oliver asked, and bit gently at her earlobe.

"Maybe. If you keep doing what you're doing, the chances go up to probably."

"Your wish is my command."


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

In the end, Kara suggested the solution to honoring her Kryptonian heritage - a public ceremony for Green Arrow and Supergirl, where odd traditions wouldn't look out of place. Oliver and Kara could be married privately, among their family and friends only.

Oliver gladly spent hours memorizing the parts he'd have to speak in Kryptonian. Now that the day had arrived, he felt oddly out of place at the old hangar where he and the others had been honored by the president after fighting off the invading Dominators. That event had, of necessity, been private. This event, however, was a novelty - a semi-public superhero wedding.

Thea had told him that no one who'd received an invitation had declined and, surveying the crowd that had gathered, he believed her. He shook his head, briefly, bringing himself back to the present and his duties as quasi-host.

Oliver knew how to make polite small talk thanks to years of watching his parents do the same, but this was the first time he'd done so in full kit. He hoped his discomfort didn't show.

But then, the guests seemed almost as uncomfortable as he felt, if their bland congratulatory responses to his, "Thank you for coming," or "It's good to see you," were anything to go by.

Then he remembered - he'd activated his voice modulator. Who wouldn't be uncomfortable being addressed with his Arrow-voice, even if this were a purely social event?

For that reason, he'd almost left his modulator behind. But there would be a few people in attendance who knew Oliver Queen and he wouldn't risk arousing their suspicions about his double-identity, especially when two of those people were Detective Billy Malone and the Channel 52 reporter, Susan Williams. Either of them could make his life much more difficult than it already was.

Although the crowd was crawling with superheroes - all of the Legends had come, as well as what Felicity called Team Flash and Team Arrow - long habit had Oliver scanning the crowd for security threats, even as he made his way toward the main entrance.

Lyla Michaels looked up from where she scanned the invitations of arriving guests, looking for counterfeits. Beside her, Alex Danvers, Winn Schott, and Hank Henshaw did the same. Henshaw, Oliver was told, was also scanning for hidden cameras or electronic devices. Oliver privately wondered how that might be possible, since the older man didn't appear to have any equipment.

 _Everyone in this room has secrets. Henshaw's aren't dangerous to me or to Kara. Not today, anyway._

"Status?" he asked, mindful of the Secret Service team escorting President Susan Brayden to the door.

"The president's the last to arrive," Lyla told him. "Henshaw assures me everyone's abided by the no-electronics rule."

Oliver looked up to meet the other man's eyes, nerves he'd never admit aloud making him seek confirmation. "You're certain?"

"I know my job," Henshaw countered. "What Schott didn't find, I did."

Oliver could almost hear Kara telling him not to worry so much, so he nodded once and hoped his tone was less brusque when he said, "Thanks."

Alex smiled at him and spoke quietly enough that even the Secret Service agents approaching the table wouldn't hear. "We're all nervous today - nothing like this has been done before, on either of our worlds."

"Superman, Firestorm, and Atom are making one last aerial sweep of the area before we get started," Winn added.

Oliver nodded again, but before he could say anything else, the president spoke.

"Green Arrow."

Instinctively, Oliver straightened his already-straight posture. "Madam President."

She smiled. "I just wanted to wish you and Supergirl well. Is she here, or is it considered bad luck to see the bride?"

Oliver's lips twitched, briefly. "That's an Earth thing, Ma'am. Krypton has different customs. Supergirl, President Brayden is asking for you."

Seconds later, she was at his side, and Oliver had to force himself not to look at her. The moment he did, his reserve would crumble into sheer joy at her presence in his life, at the incredible, amazing fact that she'd agreed to marry him, and Green Arrow's image and reputation would never recover from grinning like an idiot, even at his own wedding.

"Madam President," Kara said, smiling for him. "I'm so glad you could come."

"My security detail is going crazy, not being in charge," Brayden replied. "But I told them there's no place more secure than here, not today. Congratulations."

Kara's smile widened even further. "Thank you, Ma'am. And thank you for welcoming me. I'm a stranger to your world, and you've made me feel like I was born here."

Brayden smiled. "The first thing you did was help repel an alien invasion. Since then, you've saved lives in fifty-six countries, and assisted with disaster relief in thirty more. I am sincerely honored to have made you an American citizen, and more grateful that you're one of the good guys."

Kara's lips parted, but before she could respond, the sound of a gong echoed through the hangar.

"That's our cue," Oliver said, and even he could be forgiven for returning Kara's joyful smile.

He offered her his hand, and they walked together toward the dais at the far end of the hangar. Superman waited for them there, and as they climbed the steps, he set aside the mallet he'd used to strike the gong.

He straightened and smiled first at Oliver and then, with more genuine warmth, at Kara, before looking out over the crowded hangar.

"Ladies, gentlemen, others." Superman pitched his voice to carry without shouting. Oliver respected the skill - it was a hard one to learn. "It's my pleasure and my great honor to welcome you to witness the joining of two people in that most sacred, most enduring of bonds - matrimony. The couple has asked the ceremony to follow Kryptonian traditions, but I think you'll find the intent similar, even if the details are different than what you're used to."

Though Oliver didn't take his gaze from Kara, a rustle from the crowd told them that many were shifting position, presumably for better vantage points. The ceremony and reception were standing only, a subtle nudge to the guests not to linger - the longer they lingered, the greater the chance of someone overhearing or seeing something they shouldn't.

"In ancient times," Superman continued, "Kryptonian couples exchanged ceremonial headbands, which were then bound together to symbolize their binding union. In practice, it made the couple more like conjoined twins for the rest of the ceremony, so I think you can understand why that tradition died out."

A ripple of laughter echoed around him, and Oliver felt his own lips twitching, though not from amusement. No, his lips twitched from joy that today was happening, that Kara was before him, and about to join her life to his.

"Modern Kryptonians -" Superman's voice cracked, a slight sound that Oliver thought no one else would notice "- exchange bracelets of a color unique to each couple. They're made of a mineral not found on Earth, so Green Arrow and Supergirl have chosen bismuth crystal for their bracelets."

Barry, in costume as the Flash, stepped forward, cradling a pillow bearing two bracelets in his hands.

"In the name of truth and honor I declare the marriage vows binding upon you," Superman said. "From this day forward, throughout all time and space, even unto eternity."

Kara took the larger bracelet from the pillow Barry carried, and a moment later, Oliver took the smaller.

"Place them on each other's right wrists," Superman instructed.

Shifting the bracelet to his left hand, Oliver extended his right. Across from him, Kara did the same, and now, _now_ he let himself look into her eyes, hoping that she could see all that he felt for her.

Her smile trembled just a little, and her eyes sparkled with unshed tears.

 _Of happiness, I hope_ , Oliver thought oddly, and smiled in return as he slid the bracelet he held over her hand, moving gently because the bracelet was only just big enough for her hand to fit through, and onto her wrist.

Kara mirrored the action, only to find the bracelet stopped by the glove he wore. She quirked an eyebrow at him, and he had to chuckle.

"Sorry," he said to Superman more than her, and stripped off his right glove. All the times they'd practiced the move, he'd never thought about how his glove might affect it.

Kara slipped the bracelet on his wrist, finally, and the parti-colored band gleamed in the light.

"It is done," Superman said. "You are made husband and wife this day–and for all days hence. May the countenance of Rao ever shine on you."

Superman had barely finished speaking before Kara was in Oliver's arms, her mouth pressed against his. He'd laughed when he learned that Kryptonian marriage ceremonies also included a kiss, but now he could only lose himself in her enthusiasm, tempered to match his Terran nature. She knew just how hard to kiss, how tight to hold…

And had apparently forgotten about gravity, Oliver realized, as his toes dropped away from his body. Still, he trusted her strength, and kept kissing her until his head brushed against the rafters.

Even then, he only broke away just enough to say, "We might want to take this back down to Earth. So to speak."

Kara ducked her head, obviously embarrassed to have lost control before the crowd, and guided them back to ground to the sound of applause.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

From the Star City _Sentinel:_

Star City Mayor Oliver Queen married his girlfriend of just over a year, _Sentinel_ columnist Kara Danvers, in a private ceremony officiated by Reverend John Constantine, a longtime friend of the Queen family, on Saturday.

After the ceremony, the mayor and the new Mrs. Queen left for a honeymoon in an undisclosed location.

Asked whether the mayor's absence provided an opportunity for criminal elements to wreak havoc in Star City, Deputy Mayor Quentin Lance said, "Of course we hope for quiet times, but if things aren't so quiet, I'm confident that the city council, the chief of staff, and I can handle whatever might come up."

While no members of the media were invited to the event, photographs were provided to the _Sentinel_ by a family friend, some of which are reproduced below.

"Mayor Handsome" lived up to his nickname in a tuxedo with a scarlet cummerbund, and the bride wore an ivory satin off-the-shoulder gown embroidered in subtle reds and golds….


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

By the time Kara had bid her family - Kal-El, Alex, Eliza, James, Winn, and Hank - goodbye, watching and waving as they stepped through the portal back to Earth-38 from the roof above her and Oliver's loft, she heard nothing but silence from the loft below.

Well, not entirely silence, she corrected herself. Oliver's heartbeat thrummed slow and steady beneath the noise of Star City, but he was alone in the loft, and she hadn't heard more than an, "Are you sure, Speedy?" when he found out that his sister was dating John Constantine.

Kara double-checked that there were no spectators on the streets below before floating down to the loft's balcony and slipping inside. Oliver's habit of securing even balcony doors had rubbed off, and the lock slid into place with a satisfying click before she turned. She frowned when she saw the room was empty.

"Oliver?" she called.

"Bedroom."

That he hadn't bothered to raise his voice, trusting her super-senses to hear him, was one of the many things she loved about him. And now, that love was acknowledged before the world twice over. It was, Kara reflected, if not the happiest day of her life, certainly one of the days that made her glad to be who she was.

When she got to the bedroom, she found him still in his formal wear, but he'd ditched the jacket and cummerbund and shoved his hands in the pockets of his trousers. He scowled at the bed, though he smiled when she came close and slid her arm around him.

"Has the bed failed the city?" Kara asked, her tone light, and was rewarded when he chuckled and snuggled his arm around her.

"No, the bed's fine," he said. "It's the lamps I'm worried about."

Kara blinked, surprised to notice two new red-shaded lamps flanking the headboard, but kept her teasing tone. "They do look sinister. What are they up to?"

"They're a wedding present. From Winn and Cisco."

"From Winn and -?" Kara broke off as the implications hit her. "Red-sun lamps. Like the green room at the DEO."

"Yes," Oliver agreed. "And while I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to using them, they do raise issues we haven't had to deal with before."

Kara's mind was stuck on, _I don't have to hold back anymore._ She forced herself to push that excitement aside. "Such as?"

"Such as, are Earthlings and Kryptonians genetically compatible? Is there a possibility that you can get pregnant? If so, do you want to?"

Kara's breath caught. Yes, those were issues, and important ones, that hadn't come up before, and Oliver was right to address them now. "It's not just what I want. We're in this together."

"Stronger together," he murmured, quoting her family's motto. He turned to take her ringed hand in his right hand, the one where the bracelet she'd given him rested. "And we are stronger together. I'm a better person because of you, and I don't tell you that enough."

"Maybe you don't tell me, but you show me. Every day." Kara floated up the few inches she needed to kiss him properly.

He returned the kiss, but only briefly. "No more of that. Not until we talk about this."

Kara floated to the floor with an exasperated huff that was more teasing than annoyed. "I don't know whether we're genetically compatible - there's never been a test case, for obvious reasons."

"Your cousin?" Oliver asked.

"He has a girlfriend, but I don't know details. And even if they did, well -"

"The mechanics are different," Oliver finished. "Her eggs aren't invulnerable, like yours."

"You've been thinking about this."

"Winn mentioned it in passing when I came to your world the second time. Sometimes stakeouts are quiet, and I have time to think. I know you haven't," he added, "and it's not entirely fair to just spring this on you, but Winn and Cisco made the switch during the party, and here we are."

"I don't mind you springing this on me," Kara said slowly. "I mind you appearing to pressure me for a decision right now."

She felt Oliver's surprise in the twitch of his muscles against her body and smiled, just a little. "You're right that we need to talk this through, but we don't have to talk about it now - and frankly, there are far more fun things to do on our wedding night than talk."

"But -" Oliver began, and Kara pressed a finger to his lips.

"We can talk about it _later_. If you still have condoms, we can turn on the lamps. If you don't, we won't."

Oliver stared at her for a moment, and Kara let herself relax when a grin spread across his face. "Just another reason I love you - sometimes I get too caught up in the big picture, and you bring me down to earth."

Kara had to grin. "Except when we're making love on the ceiling. Or in the clouds."

"Except then," he agreed, and dropped his mouth to hers for a lazy kiss. When it finally broke, he said, "No condoms. Haven't needed them for a while."

"Then no lamps tonight." Kara stretched up for a deeper kiss.

\- S -

Although Oliver still believed having two ceremonies had been the best way to honor Kara's Kryptonian heritage, every time he slipped his bracelet off to rest it in the alcove with his vigilante suit, he felt a twinge of regret, almost as though he were somehow leaving Kara behind, as well.

That thought was beyond silly - Kara was waiting for him at the loft tonight, for once not needed for a disaster or other situation that only super powers could contain - and Oliver chided himself for it even as he pulled on his other suit, the suit he'd worn as Mayor Queen before becoming the Green Arrow to resolve a hostage situation downtown.

"Night, boss," Rene said as he headed for the elevator and exit.

"Good night," Oliver responded automatically, nodding at Curtis as he joined Rene. Oliver lingered just for a moment, straightening the lair, readying it for the next time it would be used. Except for Felicity's computer station - he'd learned long ago not to touch her domain unless absolutely necessary. At least she'd deemed throwing away empty or abandoned takeout containers, even paper coffee cups, acceptable, and Oliver did so before turning off the lights and heading for the elevator in turn.

The trip to the loft was quiet, thankfully. Oliver had had enough of fighting for one day - not to mention that the day had ended well, and Oliver wanted to savor that feeling as long as he could.

The loft was dark and quiet when he let himself in and secured the door behind him.

"Kara? You here?" he asked the empty space. If she were here, she'd hear him, and -

"Bedroom." Her voice floated down from the second story, and Oliver crossed to the stairs, already loosening his necktie.

By the time he reached the doorway to the bedroom, his eyes had adjusted to the darkness - only it wasn't entirely dark. His wife lay naked on the sheets, bathed in a soft reddish light.

"You turned on the lamps," Oliver breathed, though it wasn't like him to state the obvious. He shook himself, mentally, and added, "You didn't tell me to get condoms."

"I don't want them," she replied. "Unless you do, of course, but I thought -"

"No, you're right." Oliver forced his feet to move, to propel him toward Kara. "I would love to have children. With you."

"I don't know that'll happen," Kara said quickly. "Caitlin and Eliza have been talking about it, running simulations and models, and even they're not sure whether we're genetically compatible or not."

Oliver swallowed. "Field experimentation has always been more productive than simulations and models."

Kara grinned. "Then maybe you should get started on it."

"Yes, ma'am."


	7. Chapter 7

The next story in this series has been posted. It's "Reflections on Two Worlds," and you can find it elsewhere on this site.


End file.
